Author: Dick Mangrum

With Chief Tim Chastain on the medical sidelines, the number two officer at the Walhalla Police Department is moving up. City Administrator Nancy Goehle announced this morning that Capt. Ronald Wilbanks will serve as interim chief of police. Wilbanks says he looks forward to the responsibility.

Two Oconee women have been arrested in connection with the theft of cash and jewelry from a home left empty while the owners made a trip to the beach. The Oconee Sheriff’s Department reports Jessica Leigh Wilbanks, 33-year old Westminster resident, was arrested yesterday and charged with receiving stolen goods. Earlier the sheriff’s office reported the arrest of Wilbanks’ co-defendant, […]

A job fair and career expo Friday in Stephens County, Georgia is opening its doors to those who need work in surrounding counties, such as Oconee. For those interested, the place to go is the Currahee campus of North Georgia Technical College, on highway 17 between Toccoa and Martin. Sponsored by the Georgia Department of Labor’s Toccoa Career Center, “early […]

Two students at Seneca High earned a trip to Columbia for the annual James Otis Lecture Series (The First Amendment in Modern Times) in observance of National Constitution Day. Brightin Blanton and Anna Katherine Page were selected for their outstanding performance in Social Studies class and activities.

Oconee County Council got a look last night at drawings for what both Fair Play and the nearby Golden Corner Commerce Park could become if the highway 59 industrial park property develops. Chris Watson of the company Seamon/Whiteside made a presentation on development ideas at the park, as well as changes to consider for the Fair Play community. Watson put […]

Oconee’s maverick county councilman, Wayne McCall, speaks next week to the Seneca Tea Party. And the District Two councilman intends to welcome questions from the audience. The tea party meeting takes place 6:30 to 8:30 p-m Thursday, September 27 in the Fellowship Hall of the Bountyland Baptist Church. According to the meeting announcement: “No need to submit questions in advance. […]

Two leading Washington officials, on a visit to Clemson University, said the U-S must sustain a robust foreign assistance program because the price of disengagement is unacceptable. However, both Senator Lindsey Graham and Rajiv Shah of the Agency for International Development say the one percent of the federal budget that funds America’s overseas aid initiatives has to be wisely spent. […]

Everything should be OK this morning at Applewood Shopping Center. The Seneca Fire Department reports a midnight hour transformer fire resulted in the temporary loss of electric service to Belk and other stores. However, Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative has been able to restore all service.

Population counts every ten years decides government’s place in planning areas for the purpose of using transportation money at the local level. Scott Moulder, Oconee County administrator, led a discussion last night on whether part of Oconee would fare better if it were part of a metropolitan planning organization in which Greenville would have the most clout or better off […]